Artists

Tappan for MyDomaine

Los Angeles, CA

June 2016

There has been a trending resurgence of neon art in the contemporary art market, ranging from neon signs to minimalistic installations and even glowing sculptures. In any art collection, a little light can go a long way. These pieces add a distinctive, vibrant glow to anyone's personal space and are a great conversation starter to boot. As when collecting any medium of art, let your intuition guide you—art is, after all, a personal choice. To start you off, we've recommended a visual artist for every type of décor style, with five creative ways to light up your home.

PHOTO: Ngoc Minh Ngo

When it comes to the minimalist's home, think Robert Irwin and select an installation piece. Irwin began using fluorescent light in the 1970s and is best known for his installation work that focuses on specific sites, like rooms, gardens, parks, and galleries. His groundbreaking exploration of perception, space, and light makes Irwin a pioneer of the light movement.A minimalistic home sets the perfect tone for an experiential piece of neon art.We suggest hanging pieces in entryways and shared spaces to provoke conversation. The linear nature of Irwin's work plays well with modern and clean surroundings.

PHOTO: Hervé Goluza

If your home décor qualifies as traditional, we suggest including a neon sculpture in the vein of Keith Sonnier. Sonnier's works utilized atypical materials, challenging the traditional approach to sculpture pieces. His focus on color, lines, and textures produce works that are expressive and architectural. In particular, Sonnier's Chandelier Series is his answer to outdated light fixtures: Neon tubes and bright hues swirl to create beautiful pieces. We suggest exploring ways to appropriate old light fixtures with unexpected, glowing tones. The juxtaposition of a traditional home with neon accents serves to highlight the unique nature of these trailblazing works.

PHOTO: Björn Wallander

For this type of home, be inspired by artist Tracey Emin and select a piece with meaningful words. Emin has worked across a variety of mediums but garnered attention for her neon works that mimic her handwriting and illustrate emotions ranging from love to disappointment. By combining two trends—neon colors and typographical art—this style of work pushes boundaries by including personal messages in each piece. Adding neon signs to your home is a way to infuse not only a literal vibrancy but also a personal meaningfulness. When deciding where to hang your piece, consider that neon typically looks best on a simple background with high contrast, like a mirrored or brick surface.

PHOTO: Adrian Gaut

The tastemaker's neon hero is Bruce Nauman. Continually searching for new means of expression, Nauman has worked with a broad range of mediums. His early work in neon used a myriad of linguistic plays, like alliteration, anagram, inversion, and rhyme. Recently, his work explores the states of the human condition: sex, death, love, and tragedy. His work needs a little space to breathe, so it is best suited for large, empty walls.

PHOTO: Grey Crawford

Looking to add a subtle hint of neon into your home? Explore the works of photographer Jung Lee. Lee creates and photographs series of sentimental, text-based light installations in a barren nature. Haunting and beautiful, her work explores the boundaries of language. While it ultimately exists as a photograph, it explores new ways for neon art to be enjoyed and can be styled in a variety of ways. Use a minimalistic frame to let the work speak for itself.